One Final Night
by Yami-no-Aura
Summary: Takes place at the end of the series, so big spoilers- you've been warned. It's getting close- the time for their final journey- but Yugi has to tell Atemu how he really feels. What happens?


Aura: Hey guys! Well, this is my first boy love fic. Should be interesting, but I honestly can't see the two gorgeous guys with anyone else- it's practically canon! Anyway, if you are not into gay, then don't read it. Oh! And there are some serious **Spoiler Alerts** in here too, so... yeah. Anyways! On with the story!

One Final Night

It was his last night to reveal his true feelings. The last night to see the face of his true love. Yugi knew he had to do something, but he was so nervous about what would be said back. What would Yami- I mean Atemu- think of him when he told the ancient pharaoh how he really felt about him. He still hadn't wrapped his head around the name. He'd become so accustomed to calling his love interest his other self, his darkness... his Pharaoh.

'Get your mind out of the gutter, boy! He would run away if he knew what you were thinking just now. Besides, he's in love with Anzu' he thought to himself.

Yugi had been trying to keep his emotions and thoughts to himself for the past few years, but eventually his darker half had become suspicious of the quiet of the young man's mind. Although, Atemu thought it to be the boy's response to feelings he'd had for Anzu, the beautiful, kind dancer who went to school with him. How wrong he was- Yugi had indeed held a crush for Anzu, but as the spirit in the puzzle began to help him through the toughest of times and built him up, supported him with all his being, Yugi grew to care for the spirit and soon found himself head over heels in love with the former pharaoh.

He had originally swore to himself that "Yami" would never know the feelings he held for him, but now that they were in the middle of the ocean, on their way to send the pharaoh to the afterlife, he knew he had to at least _tell_ him of his heart's secret. And he knew just how to do it.

Tonight there was to be a karaoke night in the dining area, and he knew that when Atemu heard his choice of song, and when he finally let go of the wall holding his emotions in check, he would know _exactly_ what the young man felt, and for _who_. His nerves played on his mind, but he tried to keep everything hidden until the correct moment.

_Knock, knock_

"Yugi, are you coming down for dinner?" Jounouchi asked from behind the door. He sounded hesitant, as though he knew that as they neared Egypt within the next few days, their days with one of their closest friends were numbered.

"Yeah, I'll be down in a minute. I'm just getting finished dressing" he cried back as he fell to his bed, trying to get his leather pants on. It seemed that his bottom was beginning to take on a more feminine roundness, making men's pants difficult to wear.

"Perhaps it's for the best that you begin shopping for women's clothing, instead of fighting with those pants everyday, Aibou" came a deep, sultry voice that made the young male jump a couple feet in the air. He landed on his butt and winced, rubbing said flesh as he felt a bruise form when he heard booming laughter. "Really, Yugi, is there anything that doesn't scare you?" Atemu asked mirthfully, raising a delicate eyebrow as he stared at the half-naked male on the floor before him.

"Mou hitori no boku! Ack! Turn around, turn around!" he yelled, a bright red blush flaring across his youthful face. Laughing, Atemu indulgently turned his translucent body from the flailing youth and waited for Yugi to give the okay to turn around once more, still blush furiously.

"I don't know why you're so modest, Aibou. We _do_ share the same body. It's nothing I haven't seen before" Atemu mused aloud, looking at the man currently adjusting his leather choker and admiring the slender curve of his neck discreetly.

"It's the principle of the thing that matters. It just seems a bit strange now that you're officially a completely separate person from me" Yugi replied, blushing lightly again. He saw Atemu nodding indulgently; even if he didn't quite understand, Atemu would always oblige his host's requests- it's part of what made the youth fall for him.

Yugi gave himself one last glance in the mirror to make sure he looked perfect for one of the biggest moments of his life: a love confession. He kept his feelings firmly in check when he felt Atemu prodding his other's mind for what he was thinking. He could see the spirit's face crinkle slightly when he couldn't penetrate the wall, but said nothing as Yugi made his way past him and into the dining hall.

Everyone was already set up for karaoke night, with dinner on the tables below the makeshift stage. Through the obvious gloom, he could feel his friends' excitement at the idea of eating, drinking, and singing horrible karaoke. The first up to go was Anzu, deciding on the 70's classic, I Will Survive by Gloria Gaynor.

_First I was afraid, I was petrified!_

_Kept thinking I could never live without you by my side,_

_But I spent so many nights_

_Thinking how you did me wrong, and I grew strong_

_And I learned how to get along!_

Yugi giggled lightly at the cute little dance she began improvising, and everyone began clapping her along as she began twirling and dipping to the lyrics until she finished her song. Catcalls and cheers erupted from everyone but Kaiba, who just stared with a light blush and a look of utter disbelief on his face. Who knew that the uppity CEO had never seen such a suggestive dance before? Atemu just chuckled and silently clapped for his friend, while Honda jumped up to the stage and began his rendition of Kiss, by Prince.

_You don't have to be beautiful to turn me on._

_I just need your body, baby_

_From dusk til dawn_

_You don't need experience to turn me out. _

_You just leave it all up to me,_

_I'm gonna show you what it's all about._

Jounouchi glared daggers at Honda as he finished his song with a wink to Shizuka and jumped off the stage to run from his best friend. Chuckling to herself, Shizuka took her turn and began singing Decode by Paramore, amazing the entire room with her stunning vocals.

_How can I decide what's right_

_When you're clouding up my mind?_

_I can't win your losing fight all the time..._

As Shizuka sang her song, everybody ate quietly, enjoying the docile tone of her soothing voice. Yugi felt Atemu's frayed emotions ebb away as he leaned his head onto his hand, crossing his long legs gracefully. 'How can he be so beautiful all the time? Doesn't the guy ever just have a clumsy moment every once in a while?' Yugi thought to himself, answering his own question almost immediately: 'No. No he doesn't. He's perfect in every way.'

Shizuka finished her song and everyone clapped furiously as she bowed with a small blush rising to her cheeks. Anzu grabbed her friend into a bear hug, "I never knew you could sing like that, Shizuka. I need to keep you in bed with me to sing me to sleep every night!" she exclaimed, not noticing the perverted grin on Otogi's face as she said that. Yugi caught the look and began laughing.

"Anzu, I think you should re-word that last statement before Otogi and Honda have a heart attack" he said with wink.

Anzu seemed to catch on to his meaning, a gleam entering her brown eyes. She whispered something to Shizuka, who immediately blushed, giggled, and nodded her head slightly. What happened next, nobody quite understood, but all males present, excluding a flabbergasted Jounouchi, couldn't take their eyes off of the phenomenon.

Anzu took the initiative, sliding her hand seductively up Shizuka's arm until it met with the nape of her neck, pulling her head up to meet Anzu's waiting lips. All boys ears perked at the slightly muffled moan coming from Shizuka's throat as Anzu nipped at her bottom lip, asking for entrance, and opened her mouth for her tongue to slide out and meet Anzu's half way. Shizuka slid her arms up to run her fingers lightly over Anzu's ribcage before pulling the older woman closer to her before letting her go.

And then it was just over; the two women separated and burst out laughing as they looked at the shocked and drooling faces of the boys.

"I believe that's the kind of action I'd gladly stand behind. Or between, whichever suits you ladies" Atemu said teasingly as the group looked to see that, indeed the pharaoh had switched with Yugi's mind and was grinning like an amused mother at the two women who suddenly found themselves blushing and giggling. "It seems your show left poor Yugi in a state of utter shock" he continued as he walked seductively up to the girls and put his arms around the two and brought them close to whisper bemusedly, "but I think you just about gave Jounouchi a heart attack", and looked from the jealous faces to see Jounouchi had in fact developed the face of a deer in headlights. Lost and confused would describe the man's features perfectly.

"Absolutely! Tonight sounds perfect Pharaoh! Just meet us in Shizuka's room after dinner" Anzu groaned absolutely sinfully to Atemu, loud enough for the other boys to hear as Shizuka giggled nervously as Atemu leaned down and nipped at Anzu's ear. "You're too mean to them, dear Anzu" he whispered as he heard the girl unintentionally moan at the man's attentions. "You know my room's always open to you, Atemu" she winked at him playfully and took Shizuka's arm and brought her back to their spots at the table, picking out some food to munch on lightly as though nothing had happened.

The other boys were left only to gaze longingly after the two women or glare at Atemu, who suddenly felt the urge to start his song, Animal by the Neon Trees; who knew the ancient Pharaoh could sing so well?

_Here we go again_

_I kinda wanna be more than friends_

_So take it easy on me_

_I'm afraid you're never satisfied_

_Here we go again_

_we're sick like animals, we play pretend_

_You're just a cannibal, and I'm afraid I won't get out alive._

_Oh I won't sleep tonight!_

_Oh, oh, I want so more_

_Oh, oh, What are you waiting for?_

_What are you waiting for? _

_Say goodbye to my heart tonight..._

Yugi came back from his mind's room, and found that Atemu had moved to the stage and was singing to the girls who were currently swooning from the melodic tenor of the pharaoh's voice. He found himself wanting to cry a little in self pity as Atemu flirted back in his song, rolling his hips in a manner that Yugi could only describe as dripping male sexuality. He decided to keep his emotions away and just enjoy the show from behind his other half. After all, nobody could see him openly ogling the sexy spirit of the millennium puzzle, and Atemu could only sense that Yugi was behind him. He'd never be able to feel the strong desire hidden behind the impenetrable wall Yugi had put up. He couldn't look behind him to tell that his little Aibou had a mental hard on from the seductive movements his hips made as his song continued.

_Here we are again_

_I feel the chemicals kickin' in_

_It's getting heavy, and I wanna run and hide_

_I wanna run and hide_

_I do it every time, you're killing me now!_

_And I won't be denied by you-_

_The animal inside of you!_

Atemu continued his seductive dance that surpassed the raw sexuality that Anzu's had brought to the room. Yugi could feel the smug satisfaction that came from the stud before him as he knew that even the men's eyes were glued to his form. Hell, even Kaiba seemed to find swallowing his food difficult! Yugi certainly didn't feel any different from those in the room; the only difference between everybody in the room and himself was that he wouldn't get caught openly gawking at the sexy pharaoh.

_Hush, hush, the world is quiet_

_Hush, hush, we both can't fight it_

_It's us that made this mess_

_Why can't you understand?_

_Whoa, I won't sleep tonight!_

When the song finally ended, the spell was still cast among the entire room, and Atemu couldn't help but smirk in a smug manner. "Kaiba, I know I'm awe inspiring, but you may want to close your mouth before a fly accepts your oh so open invitation" he said in his dark, sultry voice. Kaiba seemed to bite at the challenge, growling, but turned up his nose and took a much needed drink from his scotch glass.

"Honestly Yugi, are you sure you're not really a woman, you could fool me any day" Kaiba bit out, a light blush forming on his cheeks as he heard Atemu's dark voice chuckle lowly.

"Were I a woman, Kaiba, you probably wouldn't be nearly as interested" he quipped easily in a playful manner as he slapped his friend's back. Kaiba glared at Atemu, but he only laughed at the cold CEO's look. "Relax, Kaiba. I was merely joking with you" he said as Kaiba huffed and took another drink.

"I didn't know you were a better dancer than I am; you're gonna have to show me how you get those moves down so fluidly" Anzu said, impressed by the show. "No problem, Anzu. I can show you tonight once Yugi goes to sleep" he said back, and Yugi felt his heart tear a little more. Atemu would never return his feelings. It was quite obvious that Atemu had feelings for Anzu. He would have to just keep his barrier up and never reveal to Atemu his true feelings. He would be okay once his other half was in the afterlife and he could finally let his emotions free to mourn his love.

"I think I'll kick off the next song" Jounouchi said, climbing onto the makeshift stage clumsily and grabbing the mic, choosing his song. The music began to play and everyone began laughing as the blonde began singing The Bad Touch by The Bloodhound Gang.

_I'd appreciate your input..._

_Sweat, baby sweat, baby sex is a Texas drought_

_Me and you do the kind of stuff that only Prince would sing about_

_So put your hands down my pants_

_And I bet you'll feel nuts_

_Yes I'm Siskel, yes I'm Ebert_

_And you're getting two thumbs up_

By the time the song finished, everyone was in hysterics, clapping along and singing with him. Jounouchi bowed and, grinning like the Cheshire cat, tossed the mic at Kaiba. "Do better than that, Kaiba!" he yelled out as said man caught the mic effortlessly, glaring at the blonde man.

"You wish, mutt-face. Who wants to go next?" he asked, receiving only giggles and staring. He sighed and got up, moving to the stage, smirking at the male currently occupying it. "You brought this upon yourself, puppy" he said, grinning secretly for his lover. A blush sprouted from Jounouchi's nose to his ears. Kaiba punched in a song, chuckling darkly and holding Jounouchi back as he tried to peek at what song he had chosen. The song began playing and Jounouchi's face turned ten times darker as Seto began talking him through the microphone.

"You know, I don't what it is. But everything about you is so irresistible"

_Don't you try and tell me that he's not my type_

_To hide what I feel inside_

_When he makes me weak with desire_

_I know that I'm supposed to make him wait_

_Let him think I like the chase_

_But I can't stop fanning the fire_

_I know I meant to say no_

Yugi had taken over when he felt his burning desire recede a bit, but was currently on the floor, rolling with laughter at the look on Jounouchi's face. Everyone was giving out amorous cat calls and egging Kaiba on as he began to roll his hips in a decidedly girly manner. Nobody had ever seen Seto Kaiba act in this way, but perhaps the six glasses of scotch had spurred on his fun mood.

_Don't you think I'm trying to tell my heart what's right?_

_That I should really say goodnight_

_But I just can't stop myself falling_

_Maybe I'll tell that I feel the same_

_That I don't wanna play no game_

_Cuz when I feel his arms wrapped around me_

_I know I meant to say no_

_But he's irresistible, up close and personal_

_Now inescapable, I can hardly breathe_

_More than just physical_

_Deeper than spiritual_

_His ways are powerful_

_Irresistible to me_

Everyone was having so much fun as the song continued, but nobody expected that Kaiba would grab Jounouchi at the end of the song and smash his lips against the other man's. Cat calls and whooping ensued quickly as Jounouchi's arms came up to wrap around Kaiba's neck. When the two finally broke apart, Seto spoke through the microphone to his lover, "Still glad I sang, puppy?"

Laughter erupted throughout the room as the blonde's face lit up in a bright red blush, and hid his face in his hands. "I'm not nearly drunk enough for this" he groaned out. As the laughter died down, Mai walked up to the stage, and was handed the mic.

"Alright, little Yugi, this song's for you. When this is all over, you come on over to _my _ room, and we'll forget about everyone else" she said in a low, sultry voice that could melt any man's heart. 'No way she actually means that' Yugi thought to himself. 'Why wouldn't she? You're an attractive, single young male. Surely you've been able to see how girls look at you now' Atemu spoke to him through his mind. Yugi couldn't help but blush at the blatant compliment from his love. As the song began playing and Mai's husky voice filled the room, he felt himself blush even harder when he recognized Peggy Lee's Fever.

_Never know how much I love you_

_Never know how much I care_

_When you put your arms around me_

_I get a fever that's so hard to bear_

_You give me fever when you kiss me_

_Fever when you hold me tight._

_Fever!_

_In the mornin'_

_Fever all through the night._

Yugi wasn't entirely sure, but when Mai finished her song with a seductive wink directed at the blushing young man, he could have sworn he heard a low growl come from his Yami. No way that could have happened.

"All right, my turn! Shizuka, come up and sing with me" exclaimed Otogi as he hauled the young woman up to the stage and whispered to her his selection. She squealed in delight and Honda couldn't help but let out a small growl under his breath. The music played and Yugi sighed in happiness as the two began singing Lucky by Jason Mraz and Colbie Calait.

_Do you hear me talking to you_

_Across the water, across the deep blue ocean_

_Under the open sky, oh my_

_Baby I'm trying_

_Boy I hear you in my dreams_

_I feel your whisper across the sea _

_I keep you with me in my heart_

_You make it easier when life gets hard_

_I'm lucky I'm in love with my best friend_

_Lucky to have been where I have been_

_Lucky to be coming home again_

_Oooh_

Anzu let out a small sigh as she gazed starry-eyed at the two lovebirds on the stage. "I want to have what they have someday" she spoke quietly. Yugi knew she was talking about Atemu, he'd always been able to know exactly what his friend was thinking. He couldn't blame her though. How many times had he wished for the exact same thing? The exact same person?

_Prod, prod..._

He could feel Atemu knocking on his mind's door; probably wanting to know why he kept his emotions away from him- most of his thoughts were unreadable to the spirit as well. As the song concluded, Yugi decided that yes, he would follow through with his plan. He didn't know if Atemu would ever speak to him again afterward, but he knew that revealing his true feelings to the spirit was the only way he could ever truly have any closure. So he gathered up his strength and courage, and walked to the stage, feigning a cool collective calm.

He listened to his friends egg him on, punched in his selection and, hearing his pharaoh gasp in realization, began to sing in an angelic but sorrowful tone.

_I feel like I'm drowning in ice water_

_My lips have turned a shade of blue_

_I'm frozen with this fear_

_That you may disappear_

_Before I've given you the truth_

_I bleed my heart out on this paper for you_

_So you can see what I can't say_

_I'm dying here_

_Cause I can't say what I want to_

_I bleed my heart out just for you_

Yugi watched his friends listening intently, hoping he wasn't making a total fool of himself. Anzu seemed to be crying silently, and Seto was holding Jounouchi as he seemed on the verge of tears. Surely it wasn't _that_ obvious that he was in love with Atemu...

_I've always dreamed about this moment_

_And now it's here and I've turned to stone_

_I stand here petrified_

_As I look in your eyes_

_My head is ready to explode_

He felt Atemu prod his mind, but this time he opened his thoughts and feelings freely for the pharaoh to explore. He could see the apparition sitting next to Anzu with a shocked expression on his handsome features. Yugi just kept singing; it was too late to turn back now, so the best thing to do was to give it his all.

_I bleed my heart out on this paper for you_

_So you can see what I can't say_

_I'm dying here_

_Cause I can't say what I want to_

_I bleed my heart out just for you_

_And it's all here in_

_Black and white and red_

_For all the times _

_Those words were never said_

_I bleed my heart out on this paper for you_

_So you can see what I can't say_

_I'm dying here _

_Cause I can't say what I want to_

_I bleed my heart out just for you_

_I bleed my heart out just for you..._

Silence seemed to permeate the room as Yugi finished his ballad bowing his head down, large tears rolling down his cheeks. The only thing that could be more beautiful than his strong tenor were the raw emotions that he had let loose. He didn't dare look at Atemu, for he knew if he did he'd surely see horror and disgust.

No words were said as Yugi retreated into his mind's room, letting Atemu take control and enjoy his last few days with his friends. He felt himself slowly drift to sleep and could only hope Atemu still wouldn't mind dueling the young man. It was still his hope to have surpassed the ancient pharaoh and prove to himself and the others that he was ready to stand on his own two feet.

"Wow, Yugi! That was amazing! I never knew you could sing. You should really make a career of it!" Atemu heard Shizuka say in the background as he was forced to take control of his host's body. Surely, Yugi didn't expect him to be able to function properly after such a confession. Of course it wasn't obvious in the least to the others. They simply thought that he was enjoying his stage time and doing a very good character song. He knew better though.

He had felt the huge wave of emotion hit him like a ton of bricks, and when he went to make sure of the object of such feeling, poking for the answer in Yugi's mind, another wave hit him, even stronger than the last. He really didn't know _what_ to do. This was too difficult to figure out. There was absolutely _nothing_ he could do to console the boy.

"Heh, it looks like Aibou got a bit sleepy. He simply passed out from exhaustion. He's had a rough few days, so if you don't mind, I'll finish off this evening" Atemu said absently, rubbing the back of his head.

"That's fine. I wanted you to show me some of those dance moves anyway!"

Thank Ra for dear Anzu! He would have to tell her how much she meant to him when they were alone. She was quite possibly his best friend, constantly saving him from having to be too social. He smiled at her and everyone decided to get to bed then.

As the two walked down the hall to Anzu's room, he felt her shift uncomfortably beside him. He looked toward his friend with a question in his eyes, but she simply shook her head, closing her eyes with a small smile playing on her lips. He let it go- he knew how Anzu felt about him, and he knew that it would be selfish of him to pry and ask her to dote on him. There was no possible way he could ever have any sort of relationship with _anyone_ in this world. His place was in the afterlife.

Away from him...

"Ya- I mean, Atemu. Can I ask you a personal question?" Anzu quietly requested. Atemu looked at his friend. She looked as though she were a curious kitten waiting for her owner to wave a bright, shiny toy in front of her.

"Anzu, I have absolutely no problem with you calling me 'Yami' or 'Pharaoh'. You don't need to try and accommodate me when I myself have only just learned my own name. And please, go ahead and ask away." he replied. He felt Anzu hesitate, but when they got to her room, she sat on her bed, patting the space beside her.

"How do you feel about Yugi? Honestly" she asked pointedly. Atemu took his time, thinking and turning the question over in his mind. He knew that Yugi was asleep in his mind's room: so no need to fear anything hurting the young man.

"I am not sure how I feel about him. I never really gave myself the opportunity to feel anything past friendship for anyone. Being that my time here is limited, I feel it would hurt more for any of us to bring a relationship into our midst, only to be torn apart in the near future."

Anzu seemed to ponder this answer for a while, nodding her agreement. But she then looked at Atemu with a strange glint in her eyes before leaning over quickly. Not giving Atemu any time to think about what either of them were doing she crushed her lips to his, moaning almost instantaneously when she felt the velvet soft, smooth lips meet her own.

Atemu gave a surprised gasp, immediately feeling Anzu take advantage of the opening and thrusting her tongue into his mouth. He didn't move as she moved her hands up his toned chest to wrap around his back to pull the pharaoh closer. He felt his friend groan into his mouth when she began exploring his cavern, yanking slightly at the dark hair at the nape of his neck. His eyes slowly closed and he gently responded to the kiss, pulling the girl closer to hug her tightly before releasing her and pushing away slightly.

"I'm really sorry Yami. I just wanted to tell you how I felt before you left." Anzu said with a dark blush running along her neck and breasts.

"I understand. I am grateful for your affections however, as I said before, it would be too difficult to start a relationship only to have it torn away" he finished, placing his forehead gingerly against her.

"I know how you feel about Yugi, Atemu. And I know that you are now aware of his feelings for you. It's not the most comfortable thing for me to talk about, but when you love someone you're about to lose, it's best to show them to your best ability" Anzu said, resting her head against Atemu's shoulder.

"Thank you. Anzu."

2 days later...

Yugi sighed, resting his head in his hand on the breakfast table. It seemed that showing Atemu his real feelings wasn't the best idea; the spirit hadn't even spoken to him- they had only switched places when absolutely necessary. But he wouldn't let himself regret doing it; he loved Atemu with all his heart and he had to be sure that the pharaoh knew that he would be dearly missed and remembered.

"Ugh, this boat is going to kill me!" Jounouchi groaned out, leaning his head out over the railing of the boat as he was hit with another wave of nausea. Honda snickered to himself, leering at him from behind. "Maybe Jounouchi is pregnant, Yugi. Should we start throwing him a shower?" he asked teasingly.

"I ain't no woman, Honda!" was the growled reply. "Could've fooled me, the way you act around Kaiba" Otogi jumped in with a wink. They only heard another growl before the horrible sound of retching ensued.

"Aww, leave poor Katsuya alone. He's sea sick" Yugi defended, feeling slightly ill at the noises his friend was making. "Thanks, pal" he replied, wiping his mouth. "I feel loads better; Kaiba's a total wuss when it comes to sick people."

"I merely do not wish to catch whatever it is that person may have. I _do_ have a company to run, puppy" Kaiba said as he walked out to the deck to give Jounouchi a glass of ginger ale, which was gladly accepted. He then wrapped his arms around his lover's waist, resting his head on the man's shoulder to look out at the ocean. "We should be arriving tomorrow" Kaiba said absentmindedly.

"Then can we fly home?" Jounouchi asked, turning his head to look at Seto behind him. "Sure, Katsu" was his reply. He was rewarded with a light kiss to the cheek and the promise of a night he wouldn't forget, earning a devious grin from the CEO.

"I'm assuming you still haven't decided to let _me _duel you, Yugi. Surely, you see that it is impossible to go up against yourself. Even if this hocus pocus pharaoh crap _were_ real, how do you intend to fight someone in your own body?" Kaiba asked, effectively ruining the romantic mood.

"I know you don't believe me Kaiba, but I'm _going_ to duel the pharaoh. It's the only way I can show him I'm really ready to be on my own; that I... that I don't need him anymore" Yugi forced out. He knew in his heart that he would keep Atemu with him forever if he knew that's what he really wanted. But he would _not_ sacrifice his love's freedom just because he was selfish.

No. He would _prove _to Atemu that he was ready to stand on his own. That, as much he loved the ancient spirit, he _would_ be able to live his life. That his happiness was all that mattered. He just hoped that the pharaoh wouldn't mind dueling against him, after what he had done.

As the sun began to set, Yugi sighed and decided to go to bed; after all, he had a big day tomorrow...

'Tomorrow...' he thought, feeling suddenly depressed.

He said his good nights to everyone and left to his room. He got to his room and looked at his deck box with a forlorn glance. "I guess it's time. I'd better get a new deck started" he said to himself.

He began sorting the cards to his desire, picking and choosing the ones that would best fight his opponent. He stopped when he reached his Monster Reborn card and stared at it for a minute. 'If only you worked in real life' he thought to himself before placing the card in his deck. He took his time, thinking of all the duels he and Atemu had won together. Which cards were the spirit's favorites to use and which combos would be able to beat him.

_Knock, knock_

Yugi's concentration was broken as he heard someone knocking at the door. "Come in!" he called, not really wanting to see anyone at the moment. He'd had a hard enough time trying to close off his emotions again so Atemu wouldn't feel so weird around him. He was sure the damage had already been done though, and he was glad that he'd been able to tell his love his true feelings.

"Hey, Yugi. Have a sec?" Anzu asked, walking into the room. "Sure, Anzu. So, what's up?" he asked, standing to greet his friend.

Anzu shut the door behind her, a falsely happy look to her face. Yugi knew that she was going through as much turmoil as he was right now, so he didn't blame her for trying to keep her mask in place; wasn't he doing the exact same thing?

"As the self-appointed cruise director, I thought I should let you know we're arriving tomorrow" she said, walking to the table with assorted duel monster cards strewn about. "Cool. Thanks Anzu" he said back to her, looking at her with a barely composed mask of joy on his face.

"So, I guess you're getting ready for your big duel against the pharaoh, huh?" She said, her mask slipping. Yugi looked to his cards laying on the table, letting his own mask slip for the slightest of moments. "Yeah, it's sort of like my final gift to him before he leaves us forever" he managed to get out before Anzu gasped, looking at him with barely contained sorrow.

"I get it! Uhh... I guess I don't want to see him go, that's all..." she said, her eyes speaking volumes to Yugi's own heart. He closed his eyes to keep himself composed, shaking his head with a wry grin. He sighed, his eyes still closed. "Neither do I, but it's time for him to move on, Anzu" he said in shaky voice. "Besides, if I win, that means that I'm ready to separate from him too."

Anzu looked at her friend. "Oh" she said, bowing her head. How could he be so brave when the person he loved was going to die all over again tomorrow? 'Yugi's right', she thought, 'but it doesn't make this any easier'.

"You ok?" Yugi asked, looking at his friend in concern. Anzu seemed to realize that she was letting her mask slip, because she quickly perked right back up. "Oh, yeah! Everything's great!" she exclaimed, waving her arms in a nonchalant fashion. "I should really let you get back to doing your thing now. Alright, great, then... I'll see you tomorrow!" she finished, walking out the door. "Uhh... Goodnight Anzu" Yugi was left by himself once again, understanding why his friend felt the need to leave.

"Pharaoh, I have a feeling she wanted to say goodbye to you," he spoke to himself, closing his eyes in pain. "Sorry..." He knew that Anzu was resting against the door; wishing the same thing he was secretly hoping for. For Yugi to lose the ceremonial duel so Atemu could stay with them. But it would be selfish of him to do that, for then Atemu would be forced to spend yet another 3,000 years alone and trapped within the millennium puzzle.

'Before I solved the millennium puzzle, I was a completely different person' he thought, still trying to figure out which cards would be best to run in his deck against the pharaoh. 'Timid, shy, lonely. But ever since that day, when the pharaoh and I joined together, I've been strong and confident. And if I win that duel tomorrow, I'll prove that I'm ready to face the world on my own. All I have to do is remember everything the pharaoh taught me and I can do this!' he thought to himself, feeling more confident as the cards he chose became easier and easier to pick.

When he was finally complete choosing all the cards to go in his deck, he placed the newly completed deck into the golden puzzle box that had originally contained the millennium puzzle. 'That was harder than I thought' he thought to himself, sitting back with a weary sigh.

"Is it safe to come out now?" he jumped slightly when he heard Atemu's voice for the first time in 2 days. "Have you chosen your cards?" the man asked, looking at Yugi with a small smirk.

"Yup, my deck's complete" he said, forcing a smile onto his face. "Wait, is that why I haven't even felt you for the past couple of days?" he asked. But he knew that Atemu must have felt uncomfortable to be around his young host.

"Yes, I traveled to a distant corner of the your mind to give you some privacy" he spoke, smiling fondly at the young man. "It's only fair. The cards in my opponent's deck should be a mystery."

Yugi nodded with a genuine smile playing on his lips. "And just so you know, I don't plan on going easy on you for tomorrow's duel." The spirit nodded, his smile still on his lips. Yugi couldn't help but think how perfect and soft they looked. No, he couldn't think like that right now. He needed to make Atemu feel as comfortable as he had before his little confession.

"Good" said the ancient pharaoh.

"Plus, I've gotten to know your strategies pretty well. Hey, when you share a mind with someone for as long as we have, you tend to learn a thing or two about how the other one thinks" Yugi said, looking down at the cards on the table that hadn't been put in his deck. He knew to leave out the Egyptian Gods for Atemu; after all, those cards rightfully belonged to the pharaoh.

"Well, I guess it's time for you to pick out the cards for _your_ deck. And don't worry, I promise I won't peak," he said with a cute wink as he looked to his puzzle and receded deep into his mind to let Atemu have some privacy.

'This is by far the toughest duel of my life. Not because the pharaoh is such a great duelist, but because winning will mean losing my... closest friend' he thought as his translucent body formed in his mind's room, looking up to the ceiling to think about his love. Friends were all they could ever be, no matter what happened with the ceremonial duel.

Atemu sat in the chair, thinking to himself as he crossed his arms and looked at the vast selection of cards on the table in front of him. 'I feel as though every opponent I ever faced has been preparing me for this moment. The moment that will decide the fate of my spirit. If I win, I will remain here, sealed within the millennium puzzle, but if I lose I am free to enter the spirit world... where I belong.' He looked at the golden puzzle box with determined eyes.

'Within that box lies Yugi's deck, chosen from a collection that _we _created together, but built completely on his own. And now it is my turn to do the same' he thought as he began working on his own deck.

Yugi woke up in his mind's room, wondering silently if Atemu had been able to finish his deck yet. He felt a sudden yank at his mind coming from the hallway and got up to walk out of his room, clad in nothing but his boxers and pajama pants. He didn't stop to worry about dressing himself, his curiosity tended to get the better of him whenever something supernatural happened to him.

He walked out into the hallway only to feel that pull yet again, this time coming from within the pharaoh's room. He hesitated, thinking Atemu would be angry with him if he walked in while he was working on his deck structure. Maybe even at all, especially after he revealed his not so innocent feelings for him.

_Come to me, Aibou..._

'What was that?' he thought with a gasp, his eyes widening while he took a sudden step back. He couldn't help himself when his feet began moving back towards the other's door. He felt the magnetic pull as the pharaoh's influence guided him through the door and into the ancient looking mind's room of his love. He followed the pulling until it led him to a sealed door, pulling slowly on the handle in case Atemu became upset that he came here without his permission.

"Please come in, Aibou" he heard the pharaoh all but purr at him. 'This must be a dream. He _never _talks to _me_ that way' Yugi thought, entering the space with more confidence, now that he knew what was going on. What he saw when he was in the room fully made his mouth run dry though.

"I think it's time that both of us get our feelings out on the table" said Atemu. He could see a large, plush bed, an off white with golden accents along the canopy frame with sheer, billowing curtains running around the frame. This room looked almost exactly like the style of ancient Egypt! He'd seen pictures of the pharaoh's memories after his memory was restored out of simple curiosity, and this bedroom looked exactly like what he'd seen as the pharaoh's personal chambers.

But what truly took his breath away was the beautiful man sitting at the small wooden table across from the bed. Atemu had the subtle combination of features his spirit had taken on as the spirit of the millennium puzzle and the ancient Pharaoh Atemu from 3,000 years ago. A soft tan spread across the man's skin, his eyes glowed a wild and sultry combination of crimson and amethyst. His strong arms had the gold bands of the pharaoh resting on his biceps. But what really made Yugi blush was that he was only wearing his waist wrap, showing off firm muscles and an impeccable complexion.

'Wow, this dream is so much better than any of the others I've had. I never imagined he could look that... delicious' Yugi thought, unconsciously licking his lips at the sight before him. The dream Atemu chuckled lightly, standing fully to show his height which, thankfully, Yugi was slowly but surely catching up to.

"I'm glad you find my new form appealing, Aibou, but we must talk about something" Atemu said, giving Yugi that sinful smirk of his. Yugi almost melted, but couldn't help but wonder, 'did he just read my mind?'

"When you're in my mind's room, I can hear every one of your thoughts and feel every one of your emotions. That's why I wanted you here, instead of me being in your room" his Yami said, motioning for Yugi to come sit at his table with him.

Yugi gasped, realizing what the pharaoh had just said. 'In. His. Mind's... Room... Oh. My. Gods!' he thought, slowly backing away, about to make a breaking dash back to his room. He turned to make his escape but didn't get far as he felt strong arms wrap around him, effectively holding him in place.

"Please, Aibou... Don't leave me..." he heard a broken cry from his love and gasped, turning his head to see Atemu on the verge of tears. His strong, beautiful pharaoh... About to cry?

"Mou Hitori no... Boku?" he questioned, tilting his head and turning around in the other's arms as he momentarily forgot his panic. The arms around him tightened as Atemu gingerly pressed his warm lips against Yugi's own, a silent tear falling down his cheek.

Yugi gasped, and he felt Atemu take it to his advantage and slip his tongue into his mouth. What was going on? No way this was actually happening! He wouldn't let himself believe it.

He let his arms wrap around Atemu's waist as the taller man brought him closer to deepen their kiss, and began the dance for dominance that only lovers knew. His mind began to fog as he could only think of how good- how _real_ this kiss felt. He felt Atemu's arms tighten their grip and his hands reach for his hair, tugging lightly to pull Yugi's head back and began nipping at his bottom lip and begin a slow trail of kisses down his throat, sucking lightly on the younger man's adam's apple.

Atemu smiled against the skin as he heard his angel moan under his teeth and tongue. Yugi was in heaven; his Yami was returning his feelings for him. He never knew lips could bring forth such pleasure. Atemu was moving lower, growling appreciatively at the lack of clothing on the young man's chest as he let his fingers trail along the outline of Yugi's abs. His fingers kept traveling lower and lower, and Yugi began having trouble breathing when the fingers stopped suddenly at the waistband of his pants.

And then he felt nothing below his feet. He opened his eyes to see Atemu carrying him bridal-style to the beautiful bed before placing him carefully upon the soft covers. He looked up at Atemu and saw that the confident man he had come to know had a look of utter indecision on his handsome face.

"Mou hitori no boku?" he questioned, tilting his head when the dark pharaoh didn't seem to know how to respond. He leaned up to his Yami and cupped his face, leaning in to graze his lips softly against the other males. A spark seemed to light in the spirit's eyes, and he pushed Yugi away gently.

"Aibou... I want you. All of you; I want you to know how I really feel for you, and it took Anzu kicking some sense into me to help me figure that out, but if we do this tonight... There's the very real possibility that we will not be able to be together again for a _very_ long time." Atemu spoke gently, the lust evident in his voice. His eyes shut, feeling the loss of the situation he was in. On one hand, if he lost the duel, he'd have to leave his love and force Yugi to live without him until the afterlife. On the other, he would be able to stay with the young man, sharing the same body, never able to touch him in the real world, and doomed to wait another 3,000 years for someone to duel him who most likely would _not_ be nearly as competent as his hikari.

"It's ok, Atemu... I'll wait for you" he was brought out of his reverie by a slim hand cupping his cheek. Yugi looked at him, love shining in his brilliant amethyst orbs. At that moment, Atemu knew what he wanted, and decided to take it as he leaned down and bent his head to meet Yugi's waiting lips.

**Warning: This section contains mature content. Don't like- or not old enough- don't read it! **

Yugi moaned softly into their kiss, wrapping his arms around the man above him and closing his eyes in ecstasy when he felt those talented hands begin to caress his torso yet again. He lost himself in the sweet torture of Atemu's body against his own, his hot skin sparking to life at the mere brush of flesh against his own. He felt Atemu remove his lips in order to trail along his jawline, down his throat, and lock on to his left nipple.

"Ah! Atemu!" he gasped out as Atemu bit his nipple gently, growling in encouragement. His hikari was so beautiful below him, writhing in pleasure at his ministrations.

"Say it again, sweet Aibou..." he purred out at him, flicking his tongue out to tease the hardening nipple. "Say my name again. Please."

Yugi was lost. He groaned as Atemu unconsciously ground his stomach against his already aching erection. "A- Atemu... Atemu!" he cried out when he felt a rough nip at his right nipple. He felt the vibrations through Atemu's lips as he moaned at hearing his name upon the young man's tongue.

Atemu sucked and licked Yugi's nipple until it too was completely hardened before lowering his head more to lick down his hikari's abs, biting ever so gently as he made his way down to his prize. He nipped at Yugi's hip bones and, hearing a loud moan fall from the male's throat, bit harder and sucked on them until he'd left multiple love marks upon them.

Yugi was in heaven, plain and simple. His heart felt as though it would burst from his chest when he felt Atemu lower his pants and boxers- he suddenly felt self-conscious. What if he wasn't what Atemu expected or wanted?

"Beautiful..." he heard his Yami breathe out before he felt warm lips glide against the underside of his erection. His mind quickly flew away when he felt those same ethereal lips wrap around his twitching member and cried out, throwing his head back and bucking lightly against the source of warmth.

Atemu chuckled lightly and watched through hazy vision as his passion-riddled lover writhed in ecstasy below his talented tongue, holding the younger man's hips in place. He slowly slid Yugi further into his mouth until the member was fully seated in his throat before pulling up, making sure to hum gently as he felt the stiff cock slide in and out of his throat.

"Y- Yami...Gods, please. Yes!" Yugi mind was completely lost to himself as his pharaoh's tongue swirled and danced along his swollen erection. Atemu was mesmerized by the sight of his love twisting and turning on the bed below him; he felt his own erection twitch at each mewl and cry that came from his aibou.

He felt around and materialized a small bottle of lubrication into his hand, soaking three fingers. He rubbed one finger along the small ring of muscles near Yugi's entrance, massaging before letting the finger slip inside.

Yugi felt something move inside him and couldn't help but to groan at the sensation. There was just something so erotic about knowing that his pharaoh was sliding in and out of him, preparing him for their joining. He felt the finger begin to move in and out in sync to the rhythm that Atemu was sucking him off to. The dark pharaoh began moving his finger in different directions with each thrust, as if searching for something. And then he saw stars.

"Fuck! Ah! Atemu!" he cried out desperately, arching his back above the sheets. What _was _ that? Atemu grinned against his lover's cock, 'Found it'. He added his second finger and thrust them both into Yugi's prostate, once again earning a loud cry from the young man. Yugi would never know just how sexy his voice alone was.

The third finger was added and Atemu felt Yugi tense slightly until he hit his prostate once again. He couldn't get enough of the sounds his little hikari was making. He sped up his movements with his mouth and fingers, hitting his special spot with every thrust. He knew that the man was close to completion, and removed the rest of his own clothing.

Yugi couldn't think; he could only form half-way coherent words as his Yami worked on him. Had he known that it could feel like this, he would have tried to bed Atemu much sooner. The things that the pharaoh could do with his hands and mouth were positively _sinful_! He felt his muscles begin to tighten involuntarily and felt the pleasure become almost unbearable.

"Y- Yami. I'm... gonna... please, more! Ah!" Yugi felt his entire body tense as he released into Atemu's waiting mouth.

Atemu groaned in pleasure at the taste and feel of his aibou hitting his tongue. He was absolutely divine! He spread his fingers inside Yugi's tight hole to further stretch the young man. 'Hopefully this won't hurt you too bad, Aibou' he thought as he pulled his fingers out and quickly replaced them with his throbbing erection before Yugi could come down from his orgasm.

Yugi cried out softly as he felt something much bigger than fingers enter him quickly, a few tears escaping his eyes. He looked up to see Atemu above him, stroking his face gently before leaning down to lick his tears away.

"Are you alright, Aibou?" Atemu asked softly through clenched teeth. His hikari was just so tight, it was almost unbearable.

Rolling his hips experimentally he heard a hiss from above him and looked up to see Atemu's eyes clenched tightly shut, straining to control himself, his fists curled tightly beside his hips. Yugi's eyes softened at Atemu's strength. 'You can move, mou hitori no boku' he spoke through his thoughts up to his new lover.

Atemu opened his crimson eyes to make sure that Yugi was indeed okay. He felt the man squirm below him in impatience, and couldn't help the moan that ripped from his throat at the movement. Didn't Yugi know that he was torturing him?

He very slowly began to move, pulling out until all that was left was a tight squeezing on the tip of his cock before shoving back in with a groan. Yugi could feel his lover shuddering in his need and couldn't help the prideful jolt that shot through his heart when he thought about how _he_ was the one to make the great pharaoh shiver so. He thrust his hips upward into Atemu's and both felt and heard the loud moan pulled from the man's throat at the action.

Atemu thrust back in a little harder, and was rewarded with a sharp cry of pleasure from his love. He'd found Yugi's prostate again; now the real fun could begin.

"Ah! Atemu! Harder, please! Faster!" Yugi cried out as the dark spirit quickly obeyed the command. With each hard thrust Yugi could feel his orgasm nearing. Surely, he'd died and gone to heaven! The feeling of Atemu's long, hard erection slamming into him each time was enough to make him lose his breath. He clawed his fingers down the other's back, arching his own so that their chests met with an electric jolt.

"Yugi... Ra, so...ungh!" Atemu was lost in the pleasure of his aibou. He couldn't think; the only thing going through his mind was, 'more, more, please, _more_!' He pounded into his hikari at a furious pace, losing himself in the whines, cries, and mewls of his little lover. He sped up his pace even more and wrapped his hand around Yugi's cock, stroking him in time with his thrusts.

"A- Ate...mu... please... gonna...Ah!" Was his reward as his little aibou came onto their chests, tightening unbearably around his erection. He kept pumping as Yugi thrust his head back against the pillows, eyes wide open in sheer ecstasy. He thrust a few more times into the tight, clenching heat until he felt himself go over the edge.

"**Yugi!**" he roared his conquest as his head flung back in euphoric pleasure, releasing his hot seed into his little lover, before collapsing on top of the young duelist.

They lay like that together for a few more minutes, simply catching their breath before Atemu noticed the spent seed Yugi had released onto their chests and felt the urge to taste him again.

Yugi panted, out of breath when he felt the tongue of his lover slide along his stomach and chest. He looked down to see his sexy pharaoh, sweat glistening along his firm body, licking up his cum like it was a gift sent from the Gods themselves.

"Beautiful..." he heard Atemu groan out as the taste hit his tongue.

Yugi couldn't help but blush at those words, but he couldn't rip his eyes away from the sexy sight. He felt his member twitch to life once again and groaned, slapping his hand to his forehead.

Atemu looked up at him in confusion, but when he felt his lover's appendage rise once again he gave the male his trademark cocky smirk. "Well, it looks like we have a long night ahead of us, my love" he spoke and took Yugi's lips into yet another passionate kiss, his smirk growing when he heard Yugi moan at his own taste.

**End of Lemon: It's ok to come back out, kiddies **

Later that night, the two lay holding each other, spent from the nights' activities. Atemu watched as Yugi fell into a deep, peaceful sleep, stroking the sweaty bangs out of his face. He sighed lightly, thinking to himself about what had happened that night. "Well, _last_ night" he thought with a grin, but then he remembered that today would be the end... and cried quietly, so as not to wake his lover. He would only get this one moment...

"_I'll wait for you..." _Yugi's words came back to him, but he found no joy in them. He wanted Yugi to be able to live a happy life- get married, have children, and just be... Yugi...

He closed his crimson eyes, concentrating on his host's body to move it about in a normal fashion to the small desk. He grabbed a soft tipped pen and a piece of paper, thinking through what he would want to tell his sweet little aibou. The hours ticked on as he wrote his heartfelt letter, and soon it was nearing dawn when he finally finished, sealing it in an envelope and writing on the front. He dragged the body back to the small bed, and receded his mind back to his room, still holding Yugi in his arms and simply watched his young lover until he awoke hours later.

He thought only one thing as his love's eyes opened in the real world, the body of his mind leaving Atemu's mind's room as though he were never there...

'Yugi... It's time to duel!'

Yugi awoke slowly, his eyes blinking in the sunlight. He rose and was surprised to feel no pain in his backside, but let himself come back to reality. 'It was nothing but a dream...' he thought, finding that he desperately wanted for it to be real. The last gift he could possibly give to the pharaoh before he was sent to the afterlife. He got out of bed, shaking his tousled hair into place and went about his morning activities.

When he was dressed and ready to go he mentally nudged Atemu, silently asking if he wanted control. When he felt the tingling of his mind being pushed from his body, he knew that the spirit would make his appearance. His final appearance.

Atemu was tired- insanely so- but he knew what he had to do today, and so he walked on, mustering all the courage and determination he could and placing it in the forefront of his mind. When he walked out of the darkness of the ship, he could see all of his friends standing at the bottom of the walk and he gasped as a sudden pain hit his chest. This was his last day on Earth, but he had no regrets.

"Look who decided to roll outta bed!" Jounouchi spoke up, a friendly smirk playing on his lips. "Good luck" were Anzu's only words. "Let's say we get this duel on the road!"Jounouchi cut in, trying to keep Anzu in line as she appeared on the verge of tears.

Atemu looked to Jounouchi in gratitude. "Let's go" he said, and walked to the others with a confident stride, not missing the translucent tear running down his aibou's face from behind him. There was nothing more he could do to console the man, so he kept walking; the only comfort he _could_ give: the privacy to mourn before he had to perform the toughest task of his life.

As they walked through the dessert to the resting place of the millennium stone Atemu kept nodding off, so Yugi took his place and continued on while keeping the bag containing 6 of the 7 millennium items on his shoulder, the millennium puzzle still hanging around his slender neck.

"Are we there yet?" Jounouchi whined, only to receive a firm, "No!" from the entire group. He hung his head slightly, but perked up after only a moment of silence. "How bout now!"

The group sighed collectively and continued onward. Soon they were able to see a set of large doors that looked to be simply lying on the ground. Ishizu and her brothers opened the doors and a large staircase was revealed to the sun. "Behold, the shrine of the millennium stone. Follow me" she said as she began descending the stair case and into the darkness.

"Dude, this duel is gonna be awesome!" Honda exclaimed through a whisper to Jounouchi. "Yeah. Yugi verses the pharaoh? That's as good as it gets!" Jounouchi excitedly whispered back.

Yugi held back his tears but noticed that Anzu wasn't doing quite as well as she stopped, her eyes downcast. "Hm? What's up, Anzu?" Honda foolishly asked, stopping beside her. "Yeah, do you need to use the little girl's room?" Jounouchi questioned seriously.

"Not quite. I was just wondering why we had to rush into all this so soon? This could be our final chance to hang out with the pharaoh before he leaves us for good" she said, a hopeful look on her face.

"That's true. I was so pumped up for this duel that I forgot that this might be his last one" Honda replied, sobering his mood effectively.

Yugi just looked at his friends helplessly. "Yeah... Me too" he lied, casting his eyes downward before they could leak any tears.

Ishizu stepped forward with a solemn expression. "My friends, I know how difficult this must be. However, Yugi and the pharaoh must carry out this battle ritual as quickly as possible. If too much time should pass, our window of opportunity will close."

Yugi looked up at Anzu's saddened expression and couldn't help but feel sorry for her. After all, they were both saying farewell to the man they loved. "We all know how you feel, Anzu, but this is what's best for the pharaoh. He doesn't _belong_ in our world and now his spirit finally has the chance to go home" he said, holding back the quiver in his voice.

Anzu simply sighed, lowering her head in defeat. She lifted her head, a look of determination set in her features. "You're right, let's do this" she said. Yugi looked away from her; he couldn't handle seeing the false expression- the same one he himself was holding in place.

Jounouchi smiled at Anzu from beside Yugi. "I probably don't say this as often as I should, Anzu. But ya know, you're one of the bravest people I ever met." Yugi felt a small nudge in the middle of his back and looked to Jounouchi, though Jounouchi kept his eyes on Anzu.

"I know this is tough for ya, and I just wanna say I'm proud." he finished, lightly patting Yugi on the back in a secretive motion.

"If you dorks start holding hands, then I'm outta here!" Kaiba groaned out with a glare to Jounouchi's hand. "I didn't come here to listen to your lame friendship speeches."

Jounouchi bristled at the CEO's obvious jealousy. "Maybe if ya actually _had_ friends, ya wouldn't _feel_ that way!" Kaiba simply glared at his lover.

"That was _harsh_ man!" Honda said, surprised at his friend's outburst. "Oh yeah! Like he didn't deserve it?" Jounouchi growled out. Yugi smiled softly at the banter and turned his eyes back to the stairwell. "Let's go" he said, continuing the trek downwards.

As the staircase came to an end the group saw a large hall, ending with an equally large set of doors, watched over by the eyes of Horus and underneath was the millennium stone.

"That's it! The resting place of the seven millennium items" Yugi exclaimed as Ishizu made her way up to the stone. "All right, Yugi" she said, and Yugi began to walk up with the duffel-bag containing the items. He lowered himself to the ground and unzipped the bag, revealing the shining objects and looked to Ishizu as she dropped to her knees, arms crossed in an X shape against her chest.

"Before the ritual can begin, the millennium items must be returned to the stone from whence they came" she explained with her eyes closed. "The eye of Ujat will then peer into your soul, Yugi, thus unraveling the pharaoh's spirit from your own." She then stood, looking down at Yugi beside her.

"Now, if you accept the terms of this ritual, then I'll ask you to place the seven millennium items within the millennium stone" she finished. Yugi nodded to her, picking up the bag and swinging it over his shoulder while walking up to the stone. He placed each item into the stone, each glowing as they fell into their rightful place. He stopped when he got to the puzzle around his neck in order to look at it fondly, before placing it too in it's original place within the stone.

'My wish _did_ come true- the day I met my friends' he thought, staring at the object that had granted his wish. ' And thanks to you pharaoh, I'm ready to give it back'.

Wind seemed to blow out of nowhere and surrounded the young man as the eye resting on the doors glowed, seeming to lock onto Yugi. He looked to the eye, determination set in his eyes, and lifted his arm to let his duel disk pop into battle mode.

"When the eye is done unraveling his spirit, the ultimate battle can begin" came Ishizu's strong voice.

The wind seemed only to get stronger as Yugi felt himself being ripped apart. He only winced and stood his ground as he felt the spirit in his mind go silent. He heard everyone gasp as his once singular shadow began to split and soon there were two bodies instead of just his own.

"No way!" "I'm seein' double" "No, it's the pharaoh" everyone seemed to cry out aloud. The only voice that stood out was Anzu's anguished whisper, "Atemu..."

Yugi looked at the now solid body of his love and found that, not only did he suddenly feel intensely competitive, but he also felt the need to touch him- to see if he was truly there. His mind was now empty and void, but he could see the pharaoh there, touch him if he dared. He gazed at Atemu with a saddened expression, but Atemu simply narrowed his eyes towards the younger male. And then they turned, walking stiffly away from each other.

"This is it! Go get em' Yugi!D-aah, you too, pharaoh!" Honda yelled out, unsure of who to root for in this particular situation.

"We all need ta root for Yugi, guys! It's the only way to set the pharaoh's spirit free!" Jounouchi cried out to the others. Everyone nodded, forcing themselves into the determination to wish the former pharaoh to lose. "It's time" Malik spoke for the first time that trip. Ishizu nodded in agreement, "The battle to determine their destinies will now begin."

The two men kept walking, faces set in a stern expression. 'This is the first time in my life that I've hoped for my opponent's victory. But in order for this duel to truly test our readiness to separate, I must fight with all my strength.' thought Atemu, turning to face his lover.

'Pharaoh, now that you've left the millennium puzzle I can't hear your thoughts anymore. But somehow I _still_ know what you're thinking... And I feel the same way. If you taught me anything, it's to put your heart into your deck' Yugi thought, setting the golden puzzle box on the ground and opening the lid to pull out his deck. 'And duel with everything you've got. That's _exactly_ what I'm gonna do!' his thoughts finished as he slammed his deck into the duel disk, looking at Atemu with all the strength he could muster.

Atemu placed his deck into the duel disk on his arm as well, narrowing his eyes at his final opponent. "I guess we're about to find out who the true King of Games is" Kaiba said, still not quite believing his eyes as he stared at both Yugis. Jounouchi ignored Kaiba's remark as the apprehension filled the large room, speaking nervously, "here we go".

Atemu suddenly cried out to Yugi, "Are you ready for this?" Yugi narrowed his eyes at Atemu, "That's what we're here to find out, right?" he yelled, before both men boomed, "Let's duel!" The wind whipped around the two as the millennium items in their rightful places beamed and glowed at them. The life points set to 4,000, and the lovers drew their first hand.

Atemu's gaze softened for a moment as he softly spoke, "Best of luck, Yugi" and started the duel, discarding a random card he'd chosen in order to summon Tricky (Atk: 2,000) and placed one card face down before ending his turn.

Yugi knew exactly what to do as he played Swords of Revealing Light, keeping the Tricky from attacking for three turns, afterward placing his Green Gadget on the field (Atk: 1,400). He used Green Gadget's special ability to move Red Gadget into his hand and placed one card face down, ending his turn. "That's all for now" he said, waiting for Atemu to take his next turn.

"You think _that's _ good, watch this!" Atemu said back, drawing his next card and looking at it briefly before activating the magic card Rebellion, using it to control Yugi's Green Gadget monster to attack since his own monster was trapped for the moment. But Yugi had seen it coming, and revealed his face down card trap, activating Stronghold the Moving Fortress. "This trap is also a monster with 2,000 defense points, so my life points are safe!" Yugi said as his new monster swatted the Green Gadget away as though it were a fly.

Atemu gave Yugi a seductive smirk. "I'm afraid your life points aren't as safe as you think, Yugi!" Since Green Gadget was Yugi's monster, his life points were reduced to 3,400.

The duel went on as both men took damage; it was beginning to resemble a match of tug of war. It now seemed as though Yugi were in trouble; his Fortress of Fate now the monster under the Swords of Revealing Light. Atemu sacrificed three of his four Tricky tokens to summon Obelisk the Tormenter, effectively destroying Yugi's Fortress of Fate and throwing the young man to the ground; he placed one card face down and ended his turn.

"I told you I wouldn't go easy on you" Atemu said guardedly, secretly hoping that his aibou was alright, and not upset with his rough treatment.

"The pharaoh means business!" exclaimed Jounouchi, his fist clenched in apprehension. "No joke" Anzu replied.

"Poor guy. Not only did he get clobbered by Obelisk, but thanks to Swords of Revealing Light, he can't strike back!" Duke commented.

Everyone cried out as Yugi struggled to get back up, but were shocked to see that, when he stood up he had a smile on his handsome face. Atemu gasped at the sight; his aibou, his hikari, his lover... was so incredibly ethereal, like an angel sent to Earth just for him.

"Check it out guys! Yugi's back on his feet!" Mokuba exclaimed. "Big deal, there's still no way he can stand up to Obelisk" Kaiba countered, watching the monster that had once been in his possession. "Then why is he smiling?" Otogi asked. Bakura stepped forward. "Perhaps Yugi _wants_ to lose so that the pharaoh doesn't have to go" he proposed. "No way, Bakura. Yugi may not wanna say goodbye, but there's no _way_ he'd be happy about losing" Jounouchi said, narrowing his eyes at his friend.

"So why the smile?" Anzu inquired, looking to Jounouchi for the answer. "He's havin' tha time of his life! Think about it, Anzu. This is Yugi's shot to finally prove himself. Usually he takes tha back seat during duels, but this time, Yugi's in control of his own deck. So now, instead of standing _behind _the pharaoh, the two of them are standin' face to face for one last duel" Jounouchi explained.

"Yeah, but can Yugi win?" Anzu asked, unsure of her friend's true potential.

The duel had been grueling, it had already been two hours, each of the two men losing life points, and dealing damage to their opponents. Now they stood face to face, Atemu against Yugi's Curse of Dragon, and Yugi against his Dark Magician.

Yugi drew his next card, placing one monster face down and switching Curse of Dragon to defense mode to end his turn. He'd defeated all three Egyptian Gods at the same time, but he just didn't know how he could defeat his most trusted monster.

Atemu was suspicious of Yugi's face down card, already knowing that it was the dreaded Marshmellon from within his partner's deck; and with 700 life points remaining, the effect of said card would end the game in Yugi's favor by taking 1,000 life points from his opponent. He drew his card before playing Thousand Knives, destroying Yugi's face down Marshmellon and attacking Curse of Dragon with the Dark Magician. Everyone worried over their young friend, but Yugi kept up his determined face.

"Your Dark Magician's strong, but he's not invincible" Yugi bellowed to Atemu from across the holograms.

Atemu just smirked at his lover. "Well, then. Let's see you take him down."

Yugi seemed to take the bait. "Oh, I will. But first, I summon this! My Block Man in defense mode, then I'll place one card face down. That's all for now" he finished.

"I was expecting more. Now, I activate my Dark Sphere magic card." His magician's newly acquired ability allowed the difference between his higher attack points and Yugi's lower attack points would be taken from Yugi's life points.

"You triggered my trap! Go, Soul Shield!" Yugi called out, taking half of his own life points in ordered to negate the Dark Magician's attack and end Atemu's battle phase, leaving Yugi with only 400 life points. "Very well executed, Yugi" the ex-pharaoh congratulated, ending his turn.

Yugi drew his card, happy to see that it was just the card that he needed. He looked at Atemu, narrowing his eyes at the sexy grin laying on the older male's face. It was as though Atemu had seen the wet dream that Yugi had the night before... 'Wait... No, not possible' he thought. He had been keeping up his barrier extremely well lately to keep Atemu comfortable around him.

He played his new card, Gold Sarcophagus, and placed a single card within the golden box secretively. When Atemu played the exact card that was hidden in the ancient box, the effect of that card would be negated.

Anzu couldn't help but notice that the Gold Sarcophagus looked exactly like the box that the puzzle came in. 'The very box that brought the two of them together, may be the same thing to tear them apart' she thought, suddenly feeling terrible sorrow and pride for her young friend. She wished that someday she would have the strength and courage that Yugi showed today.

Yugi then activated Block Man's special ability, deconstructing it into two monsters and sacrificed both in order to bring out Gandora the Dragon of Destruction. Although the monster could only stay on the field for one turn, that was all he'd need to destroy the Dark Magician. He paid half of his life points, taking them down to 200, to activate it's special ability and remove every monster on the field from the game.

Atemu was ready for the attack however, revealing his trap card, Dark Illusion and negating all monster effects until the end of Yugi's turn. However, due to the effect of his trap, Yugi drew one card from his deck and placed the two cards from his hand face down before ending his turn.

"Alright, my turn" Atemu said, drawing his next card. "Dark Magician, attack his life points directly!"

But Yugi was ready for the move, revealing his trap, Magician's Circle, giving him the ability to special summon a spell-caster from his deck when being attacked by a spell-caster. He summoned his Silent Magician, but the trap also allowed Atemu to summon a spell-caster of his own. He played Dark Magician Girl, and ordered his Dark Magician to attack Yugi's monster.

'I'm not done yet, Pharaoh. If you're spirit's going to be set free, I need to win this duel!' Yugi thought to himself; he was determined to win this duel. He revealed his face down card and activated Spell Textbook, but since he had no cards in his hand he had nothing to discard. He drew a card, playing the Card of Sanctity in order to force each player to draw until they both had six cards in their hands.

With every card that Atemu drew, Yugi's Silent Magician's attack strength grew by 500 points, totaling it out to 3,500 attack points.

Atemu felt his pulse quicken; he couldn't call off his Magician's attack, but he quickly remembered to play his own magic card, Magicians Unite. His Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl fused their attack strength in order to save their master from sudden defeat, but were destroyed in the process to leave the pharaoh with 200 life points- the same as Yugi's.

"The end is near now. This will be my final turn. You have fought bravely, but unfortunately this duel will conclude with _my_ victory. Thank you, Yugi. I know you tried with everything in your power to set me free. I activate this... The magic card Monster Reborn. And now, I shall resurrect Slifer the Sky Dragon! Slifer's attack points are determined by the number of cards in my hand, and since I'm holding four, he now has 4,000 points!"

'My spirit shall remain in this world... I guess Yugi and I weren't destined to separate' thought the spirit.

Yugi closed his eyes in pain. 'If I were you, I would have summoned an Egyptian God as well, Pharaoh. And that's why I was prepared for this very moment!' He opened his eyes and narrowed them at the pharaoh as his Gold Sarcophagus began to lower and glow.

Atemu gasped, lurching his body forward a bit in shock. "What's this?"

"The card that I hid inside that box is the same card you just played!" Yugi cried out. "The card I buried was Monster Reborn!" The Egyptian God was sent back to the graveyard and Yugi lowered his head to cover his eyes as they welled lightly with unshed tears.

'This was the greatest duel of my life' Atemu thought as he closed his eyes, a small smile forming on his plump lips. He then re-opened them, continuing his train of thought. 'It's been an honor, Yugi'. "Go on. Your move" he spoke to his little aibou, noticing the young man had shaded his eyes.

Yugi's entire body shook as he tried to hold in the tears that threatened to spill out. "I don't get it. What's Yugi waiting for? All he has to do is attack and the duel is over" Duke said. "That's just it" Bakura replied. "Once the match comes to an end, the pharaoh will be released, and we'll never see him again." Yugi's eyes began to fill and tears spilled over the edges, his body shaking more rapidly as he locked eyes with his pharaoh.

Atemu's gaze softened, 'It's all right, Yugi, proceed!' he sent the thought over to his Aibou, watching as the man steeled himself to deal the final blow. He thought about their night together, how he'd watched the gentle rise and fall of his muscular chest, how good he'd tasted...

"All right! Silent Magician, attack his life points directly!" he forced out before he could think about the words he said. The spell-caster attacked the pharaoh as Yugi closed his eyes at the sight. He couldn't bear to see his love fall.

The battle was over; Yugi fell to his hands and knees as the tears he was trying to hold back fell freely. Atemu softened his gaze, walking over to his tiny lover and tilted his head lightly. "Congratulations. Well done" he said.

Yugi just kept crying. The wall of emotions he's held in place toppled over once again as he let the love and sorrow out for Atemu to feel. The pharaoh bent down to the boy's level and placed a friendly hand on his shoulder, conscious of the image he set for Yugi's sake. "A champion doesn't belong on his knees. You achieved a great victory for us both" he spoke gently to his aibou.

"I was focusing so hard on playing the game that I forgot... what winning this duel would actually mean. By defeating you, I've sent you away... for good..." Yugi spoke through his sobs. "No, you have opened the door for me. Thanks to you, my spirit can finally be at rest once again. I'll be back where I belong. Fate brought the two of us together for a reason, and we've fulfilled our destiny."

Yugi gasped and looked to the one he loved above all others, and Atemu took that time to put both hands on the young man's shoulders. "We've protected mankind from the return of the Shadow Games, and we've both grown tremendously along the way" he finished. The two stood together, staring passionately but discreetly into each others' eyes.

"I'm gonna miss you" Yugi finally said.

"You do realize we'll never _truly_ be apart, right?" Atemu asked. Yugi's head jerked up as he heard the question. "Huh?" he gasped out.

"The kindness you've given me, and the courage I've given you will remain with us, and that will forever bind us together."

Yugi nodded his head, secretly wishing for a more romantic speech, but he knew he'd never get one. "Right" he finally said back.

The eye of Ujat glowed brightly, emmiting the golden hue of the gods as though proclaiming Yugi the victor.

"Now that the battle ritual is complete, the Eye of Ujat that guards the door to the spirit world has awakened, and the spirit of the great pharaoh, which has been trapped within the millennium puzzle for over 3,000 years is now free" Ishizu explained as Atemu walked to stand in front of the doors and sent a quick mental message to his young love. Everyone gasped collectively at the sight while Yugi stared after the pharaoh with a shocked expression. Had he heard the pharaoh just now? 'You will always be in my heart, little Aibou. Be sure to check your work desk on the ship... Ana uћibbuk...'

"So this is it?" Anzu asked as Ishizu stepped forward. "The time has arrived. Tell the Eye of Ujat your name" she instructed.

Atemu took another step toward the doors. "I am the son of King Aknamkanon. My name is... Atemu!" He bellowed in a dark voice before the doors opened and he began walking into the bright light that swelled from the doors. His god-like body was framed by the light as he walked, but was soon stopped by the frantic voices of his friends.

"**Pharaoh!**" everyone cried out at once. "Don't go!" Anzu cried brokenly as she, Jounouchi, and Honda ran up to him. "So, that's how it ends, huh?" Honda questioned while Yugi joined the three. "Nice! You think you can just show up and change everybody's life, and then just leave?" he finished, rubbing his eyes like a small child who wanted to get his way. Yugi simply closed his eyes hard, trying to clear his throat in order to speak correctly.

"What Honda means is, we don't want to say goodbye..." Yugi said. "Exactly! Pharaoh... I know walking through that door means your spirit will finally be free, and it's all for the best, but it doesn't seem fair! I mean... I feel like we were all just getting to know you! In fact, you were just beginning to get to know yourself" Anzu said through her tears.

Atemu bowed his head and bit his bottom lip to keep his own tears at bay. "And now you're being taken away from us. I know we should be happy for you, but it's really hard to do that when you're losing your best friend and you just don't understand why it has to be that way!" Anzu finally finished, rubbing the tears away from her face.

"I guess there are some things we're not supposed to understand" Jounouchi cut in, "Just look at me. I go through half my life without understandin' what's goin' on. But I know that true friends may be hard to leave, but they're impossible to forget! And even though his stay wasn't as long as we liked, we're lucky we knew him at all" he finished.

'Thank you, Jounouchi' Atemu thought silently to himself. "Hey Pharaoh! I hate to break tha terrible news to ya, but you're not goin anywhere! Cause everything you've given us stays right here in our hearts" he heard Jounouchi bark out. He turned his head to glance back at all of his friends. "Right!" he said back.

Yugi finally got his head back, giving Atemu a soft, determined smile. "That's right! It's your move!" he said aloud. 'Aishiteru, hatsukoi...' was added silently in his thoughts. Atemu grinned at his aibou, before turning around to walk into the afterlife, holding out his right thumb to show everyone that he was content. Slowly, as entered the world of the dead, his pharaonic clothing shifted from his regular clothing, his skin darkened, and his jewelry appeared along with his past friends.

And just like that, it was over. The doors closed forever and the group of friends were left without their ancient comrade. 'Well, pharaoh... Goodbye' Yugi thought to his love.

Their quiet stopped though, when the great hall began to collapse. The millennium stone burst apart and the items within fell into the darkness from whence they came. "Time to go!" Jounouchi replied, grabbing Yugi and pointing him back to the staircase. The group ran for their very lives as the ghost of Shadi watched them escape from within the collapsing tomb.

When they made it outside and the rubble had cleared, the group just stared at the tomb.

"Now that the pharaoh has returned to the next world, the millennium items have been permanently sealed, and our duty as the pharaoh's tomb keepers is finally complete" Ishizu said, a wave of relief washing through her and her two brothers.

"So this is the end? Feels weird" Honda commented as everyone just stared at the rubble in front of them. "Yeah" Jou added, before Kaiba butted in, inching closer to his distraught "puppy".

"What were you geeks expecting?" Kaiba questioned. Jounouchi simply looked to his lover. "Fireworks, sappy music... something" he said back. The air was sober around the group as each tried to think of a way to ease the tension in the group. "At least make one of your little wrap-up speeches, Yug" he joked.

Yugi looked at his blonde friend and decided to humor the man.

"Well, sometimes the end of one adventure is just the beginning of another" he said, looking to the sky and thinking of his pharaoh. Jou sighed contentedly before adding, "Ahh, much bettah!"

Yugi was exhausted after the trek back to the boat; Jounouchi and Kaiba had taken a jet back to Domino, letting the others ride with them, but there was just something that urged Yugi to get back on the boat. Ishizu, Malik, and Rishid had led him back through the dessert and to the ship.

As he entered his room, he saw that, indeed, there was a letter sealed in an envelope for him on his work desk. He saw the elegant hand writing of his love and his breath caught in his throat at the sight. He lifted a shaky hand to grasp it, bringing the envelope up to his nose. He was pleasantly surprised to find that it smelled of sandalwood and cinnamon- his Yami... Could he really open this treasure? What was written there?

Yugi steeled his resolve and gently pried the paper open.

_Dearest Aibou... _

_If you're reading this, it means that you've succeeded in setting my spirit free._

_I hope to the Gods that you do not feel any guilt in helping me; I realize how hard it was for you. You don't know how much last night meant to me, my little hikari, my lover, my everything._

_I wish I could have acted sooner in my love for you, but that is what made last night all the more special to me. I chose to go to the afterlife in order to watch over you until your time comes, and be waiting to hold you in my arms once more. It'd better be a long time before that happens too. _

_Aibou, the night you gave me your confession, I was shocked into silence, and I know it hurt you; for that I am truly sorry. It took me a small while in order to find my true feelings, as I had not allowed myself to feel such things toward you._

_Hikari, listen to me, I want you to live your life. I want you to fall in love again, have children that look just like you. I will be waiting for you in the spirit world, koibito. _

_ Ana uћibbuk..._

_ Yours forever,_

_ Atemu_

Yugi couldn't believe what he was reading; it was real- his night with the king- all of it. He'd really made love to Atemu. The pharaoh returned his love. His heart skipped a beat as he walked to his window and looked up at the sky, tears of love, joy, and sorrow, rolling down his pale cheeks.

"I'll wait for you too, Atemu- always... Aishiteru... Aibou..."

_**Fin**_

Aura: Wow... I cannot _believe _I wrote a 28 page one-shot. I feel **AWESOME!** Well, anyway. Let me know what you think. No stupid homophobic flames, ok? You shouldn't have gone looking for it if you didn't want to read it. Besides, it's my first boy love story/lemon. Constructive criticism is more than welcomed. Love you guys. Gay pride!

Here's some vocabulary for the different languages I used:

Japanese:

Aibou- partner (This is what Yami Yugi calls Yugi in the original Japanese anime)

Mou Hitori no Boku- my other self/ the other me (Yugi's name for Yami before he learns his real name)

Hikari- light (refers to Yugi, seeing as how Atemu is frequently referred to as Yami, meaning darkness)

Yami- Darkness (Atemu's makeshift name when they couldn't figure out his real one)

Aishiteru- I love you

Koibito- lover

Hatsukoi- my love (referring to a first love)

Arabic

Ana uћibbuk- I love you (talking to a male)

Okay! I think that's it. LOL. Well, that's it for now. Peace!


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